unpatriotic feelings?

Hihi,

I think when one stays abroad more than 2 years, he will gradually lost "connection" to native country. Also, it depends on how far he stays away from his native country also. For me, I stayed in foreign country > 5 years. But inside my heart my native country still is my home. The reason could be my parents/family still there.
However, I think now most modern people do not have strong feelings on native country when they are abroad. For me , as long as i feel like to stay longer in this country with my family, then it is my home. Ofcause there are still people in overseas also strong connected to native country, while they mix with most native country people all the time.There are also links and channel to know about your country stories,  but the world is too big, and sometime this is unavoidably be disconnected also.

All the time. I was raised French even in Angola, so when I go back to Angola, I am the "French girl" although I only have the Angolan nationality. I don't accept many of the things that are happening in my homeland, so people assume I want it to be France. It's not true. But when something is wrong, we have to tell it.
Unfortunately, us Angolans say "never mind, it's gonna be like this all the time" and won't change.

I left France when I finished my studies ... and I definitely prefer to live outside my home country... I might be disconnected ... but I am still voting!

Julien wrote:

I left France when I finished my studies ... and I definitely prefer to live outside my home country... I might be disconnected ... but I am still voting!

Same thing here. I may be somewhat disconnected but still voting. I've never felt particularly patriotic about Germany. But that would be a bit weird, anyway. It's just not what people do. Anyway, I'm completely different when it comes to the UK. I'm so proud to finally be a UK resident. And to my parents and relatives I'm already British.

I am French at heart obviously as I was born and brought up there. I do still love France but now I feel like a tourist when I go back and find it really hard to connect with people there as our references change with our experience elsewhere and our vision of our own nation becomes less "rose tinted"!I can see what other nations point out to me now without "going off on one" like a proper frenchie would do!!!However, I do defend it if I find it unfair or untrue. I have been living "outside" for 18 years now, I guess it has to show;)But it s a no win situation, out there I am "l'anglaise" and here I am "the frog"!Does this make me a hopping mermaid in the Channel?!!!

Interesting observations. I'm German, went to school in Paris, lived in Canada, Mexico and for more than 40 years in the US. All these years I never gave up my citizenship. although I don't feel patriotic towards Germany, the older I get the more European I feel. And finally I have decided to move back to Europe, but to malta,

Hello Ursula and welcome to Expat.com
Did you have a look at the Forum of Malta?
Arlette

Some expacts seem to always be connected: socializing with other people from their home country, speaking their language at home and at social occassions. Some other - more cosmopolitan - moving a lot, marrying/socializing outside their countrymen do get a new perspective on their old home country and on the new ones. You may call it a disconnect. I call it a blessing - a change in perspective on where one "belongs"